Killer 7 (GameCube)

As well as the grisly satisfaction of landing a one-hit kill and soaking up all that 'tasty, tasty blood', part of Killer7's mysterious pull is due to the bonkers story, which while I admit I hardly understand a word of - even after two plays through - is nevertheless engrossing, shocking and beautiful to look at. The interesting cut-scenes, presented in a mix of typical Japanese anime and indie-American-style animation, and skits of nonsensical dialogue presented in the games own arresting real-time graphics are amazing to watch, and really draw you into its pitch-black atmosphere and probably supply over half of the entertainment had from Killer7 - even if the story is near enough incomprehensible. Whether or not that makes it a good game is down to whoever's playing it, really.

The general opinion is that Killer7 is one of those love it or hate it games, but I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. I think Killer7 is a game you both love and hate at the same time. As a playable game, it's got problems (although the control system proves to be excellent when you get used to it; a nifty and streamlined way of getting around and interacting with vital items), and the unlockable extras are surprisingly lacking for Capcom, but as a playable, visual experience it's easy to appreciate all the effort that's gone into it. Unless you just plain hate it, that is. As a bold attempt to try something new, it definitely succeeds, and if you think you might fall into the 'love it' camp it's definitely worth a look. Just don't expect to have a clue what's going on.

This game is simply astounding (to an extent). The central concept of Killer 7 is truly unique. Harman Smith, a wheelchair bound old man, has 7 personalities living inside his head- each one a skilled assassin with their own abilities. For example, Kaede Smith, a female assassin wearing a blood splattered dress, carries a pistol with a scope and is able to destroy barriers. Coyote Smith is a master of breaking and entering- and is able to pick locks, jump onto the roofs of buildings etc. You are able to switch between the 7 Smiths during each mission to help you progress in the game.

Killer 7 is a truly disturbing game. Forget Resident Evil and Silent Hill, this game is just plain wrong. The graphics in Killer 7 are like some twisted cartoon. Some of the environments are jaw-droppingly gorgeous as a result and each of the 7 assassins have their own (disturbing) charm. The sound is perfect too. The main enemies you fight in the game are called 'Smiles'- invisible monsters that blow up when they get close to you or others. The initial indication you are given of a Smiles presence is their manic laughter, which will fill you with fear. The various ghosts you encounter in the game sound creepy as well. The music, for me, was a particular highlight of the game, varying from sinister tunes (e.g. when exploring the initial building) to pumping dance tracks (e.g. just before you fight a boss).

Now onto the bad points. This game is terrible in some major aspects, which will likely put many people off.

After you have marvelled at the opening sequence, you will immediately notice the strange control system. You don't move your character freely. They are effectively on a rail, and you can only select the different paths they go down. Pressing A causes your character to run. B is used to perform a 180 degree turn (which can be pressed whilst running to perform a quick turn). Pressing R switches you to a 1st person view- and you are able to manually aim at enemies. I have no quarrels with the manual aiming but the fact you can't move your character anywhere you want gets you into some frustrating situations. For instance, in the 3rd mission you are in a desert town- and in one section, you are on a VERY wide road. However, your character follows a winding, linear path along this road, which just happens to go right into an enemy's path. You can't run out of the enemy's way, so your only option is to do a 180 degree turn and run to a safe distance and then turn back so you don't get blown up. It's just plain annoying. The result is, this linear game feels even more linear.

The second major annoyance is the puzzles. The game has an 18 rating on the front of the box, but the puzzles feel like they are aimed at a 5 year old. You are constantly being spoon-fed information on how to complete the game (even on the difficult setting), it feels like one big tutorial and almost no thinking is required on your part at all. For instance, in one section of the game, you are told a password before you even know you need one. In another section of the game, you have to light 5 candles in order, and the candles have the numbers 1 to 5 written on them. So although inspired by the likes of Resident Evil, Killer 7 lacks its good sense of exploration and puzzle solving.

The negative points of this game are really infuriating, but I still highly recommend Killer 7. If you can get over the controls and puzzles, the game is still alot of fun. There are alot of neat little touches which make the game stand out. I always felt compelled to play on to the next section just because it is so different to any other game out there.